Bill Intended to Legalize Online Gaming in Arkansas, Prohibiting Sweepstakes: Saffa's Proposed Legislation
Arkansas is considering a new bill that, if passed, would legalize online casinos, potentially expanding gambling options and increasing state revenue. The proposed legislation, yet to be formally introduced, is reported to be modelled in part on legislation in New York to ban sweepstakes casinos.
The bill has garnered bipartisan support, but the lead sponsor has not been identified as of yet. The legislative session in Little Rock ends on April 11, leaving limited time for the bill to progress through the state Senate and House before being considered by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
If passed, the legislation would only allow Arkansas' three licensed brick-and-mortar casinos - Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, and Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis - to operate regulated online casinos and sportsbooks statewide.
Casino executive, Carlton Saffa, announced that the bill legalizing online casino gaming and outlawing unregulated sweepstakes casinos and sportsbooks would be introduced at the Arkansas Legislature next week. Saffa made these comments on an episode of Gambling.com's "The Edge."
It's worth noting that regulated online sports betting is already legal in Arkansas. However, the proposed bill could potentially shrink rather than expand the amount of gambling available in the state, as it aims to replace unregulated sweepstakes platforms with regulated online casinos.
Larry Henry, a veteran print and broadcast reporter and editor with experience in the gaming industry, has been following the developments closely. He has worked as a political editor at the Las Vegas Sun and managing editor at KFSM-TV.
Earlier in March, Henry told Gambling.com that a shell bill could be used to put iGaming before voters, with the revenue intended for law enforcement and public safety. However, State Sen. Bryan King, who has experience with media outlets in states with gaming, including Tennessee and Louisiana, has since announced that he does not plan to go forward with a measure to let voters decide whether to amend the state constitution to legalize online casino gambling in Arkansas.
The impact of this legislation, if passed, would be significant. It would increase gambling availability and state revenue, as Arkansas currently only permits retail sportsbook betting, with limited mobile sports wagering, and sweepstakes casinos operating as a legal alternative to online real-money casinos.
In the broader context, online gambling legislation in the U.S. faced challenges across multiple states in 2025, with some governors opposing the expansion of online casinos. This reflects a cautious national trend rather than a coordinated multi-state effort involving Arkansas and New York.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
- Carlton Saffa, a casino executive, has announced that a bill legalizing online casino gaming and outlawing unregulated sweepstakes casinos and sportsbooks will be introduced at the Arkansas Legislature next week.
- If passed, the legislation would only allow Arkansas' three licensed brick-and-mortar casinos to operate regulated online casinos and sportsbooks statewide, potentially expanding gambling options and increasing state revenue.
- The impact of this legislation, if passed, would be significant, as it would increase gambling availability and state revenue, with the potential to shrink rather than expand the amount of gambling available in the state due to the aim to replace unregulated sweepstakes platforms with regulated online casinos.
